Kentucky's Pesticide Applicator Training & Certification Program

Monte P. Johnson, Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology

If you are a pesticide user who will apply certain
products classified for Restricted Use only, then you should become
familiar with certification requirements developed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The certification
program is designed to ensure that users of Restricted Use pesticide
products are properly qualified to handle and apply these
materials without harming themselves, other people, or the environment.

Each state actually certifies applicators, and to do so
must develop and administer certification programs that conform
with the EPA standards.

Legislative History

The following legislative highlights directly concern
pesticides and pesticide applicators. They provide a background
for understanding the authority behind pesticide registration
and regulation.

1947Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA)
(also included herbicides). Required proper labeling of all such pesticides,
which must be registered by the manufacturer with the Secretary of Agriculture
(USDA) before being marketed in interstate commerce. Products manufactured
and sold in only one state were not covered.

1970Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established. Most
pesticide regulatory responsibilities were transferred from Health, Education,
and Welfare (HEW), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and USDA to the EPA.
Many of the old USDA registration numbers were changed to EPA registration
numbers until the old pesticides came up for reregistration ("grandfathered
in").

1972Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act (FEPCA), also
known as "amended FIFRA." Extended registration to all pesticides
sold in the U.S., not just those sold in interstate commerce. It established
the pesticide label as a legal document and provided for classification of
pesticides as "General Use" or "Restricted Use."

A Restricted Use pesticide is defined as a material that, even when used according
to label directions, may result in adverse effects on the applicator or on
the environment, and thus requires special care in handling. Restricted Use
pesticides can legally be purchased and used only by persons who have had
special training as certified applicators, or under their direct supervision.

Private applicators apply pesticides only on their own property or on the
lands of another on a "trading of personal services" basis. Commercial
applicators apply pesticides as a business (pest control operators, lawn service
companies, aerial applicators, etc.). (See Definitions of Applicators.)

1988Amendments to FIFRA. Mandated a nine-year reregistration
scheme which applies to each registered product containing any active ingredient
registered before November 1, 1984. This amounted to approximately 600 groups
of related pesticide-active ingredients, or "cases," representing
1,150 active ingredients in 45,000 formulated products. The EPA divided these
600 cases into four lists: A, B, C, and D.

The Registration Standards program, begun in 1980, was a systematic process
for reevaluating existing pesticides and identifying conditions that registrants
had to meet before the EPA would reregister them. In 1988, the 194 Standards
issued accounted for about 85% of the total volume of conventional pesticides
used in the U.S.

Lists B, C, and D: The remaining pesticides were divided into three
lists based on their potential for exposure and other factors; list B was
of highest concern and D of least concern. Classification criteria included
potential for residues of concern in food or drinking water; significance
of outstanding data requirements; potential for worker exposure; Special Review
or Restricted Use status; and unintended adverse effects to animals and plants.

Amendments to FIFRA '88 also authorized the collection of fees to support
reregistration activities; and changed EPA's responsibilities and funding
requirements for the storage and disposal of suspended and cancelled pesticides
and the indemnification of holders of remaining stocks of such cancelled pesticides.

1990Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990
(1990 Farm Bill). The 1990 Farm Bill made provisions for recordkeeping by
all certified applicators of Restricted Use pesticides. The USDA has formed
a committee of the key agencies involved in developing and implementing the
pesticide recordkeeping requirements. The National Agricultural Statistics
Service has been given the lead in defining the information the applicators
will be required to maintain and collecting the data for a yearly report to
Congress (See Recordkeeping Requirements).

1994The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) governs protection
of employees on farms, or in forests, nurseries, and greenhouses from occupational
exposure to agricultural pesticides. It covers agricultural workers, people
who perform tasks related to cultivation and harvesting of plants, and pesticide
handlers, people who mix, load, apply, and do other tasks related to agricultural
pesticides. Labels of agricultural pesticides require compliance with the
WPS. Statements referring to the WPS will appear in the Agricultural Use Requirements
box on pesticide labels. Some of these requirements include personal protective
equipment, notification and training requirements, and restricted entry intervals.

1996The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) became law in August
1996. The main focus of the FQPA is to protect the public from pesticide residues
in dietary and nondietary sources. Some provisions of the FQPA include:

A single health-based safety standard for pesticide residue tolerances in
both raw and processed food (a tolerance is the amount of pesticide residue
that can legally be present in/on a food);

An explicit determination that residue tolerances are safe for children;

Consideration of (1) aggregate exposure to residues of pesticides (including
food, drinking water, and residential use) and (2) cumulative exposure to
all pesticides with a common mechanism of toxicity, when setting residue tolerances;
and

EPA review of all existing residue tolerances within 10 years.

Definitions of Applicators.

Certified Applicator

A certified applicator is any individual who is certified
as authorized to use or supervise the use of any pesticide which
is classified for Restricted Use.

Private Applicator

A private applicator is a certified applicator who uses or
supervises the use of any Restricted Use Pesticide (sometimes
referred to as RUP's) for purposes of maintenance or
production of any commodity on property owned or rented by him/ her
or his/her employer or (if applied without compensation other
than trading of personal services between producers of
agricultural commodities) on the property of another person. This
definition includes school and apartment maintenance as well as
greenhouse and nursery workers.

What this means is that a farmer can exchange a pesticide
application for other service(s) from another farmer without
being considered commercial. An example of "trading personal
services" is when a farmer helps another farmer put up a crop of hay
in exchange for a highboy pesticide application on his tobacco crop.

Commercial Applicator

A commercial applicator is a certified applicator (whether
or not he is a private applicator with respect to some uses)
who uses or supervises the use of any pesticide which is
classified for Restricted Use for any purpose or on any property
other than as provided under the definition of "private applicator."

Kentucky currently has 17 categories of commercial
applicators:

1. Agricultural Plant and Animal Pest Control: control of insects, weeds,
and plant diseases in farm crops, grasslands, and non-crop agricultural lands.
This category also includes soil fumigators, such as those who fumigate tobacco
seed beds.

1c. Agriculture Fumigation Non-Residential: for applicators using or
supervising the use of poisonous gases registered for control of pests in enclosed
spaces (e.g., warehouses, ships, barges, granaries); residential structures
are prohibited.

2a. Forest Pest Control: for applicators involved in forestry practice,
in the control of forest weeds and the insects and diseases of conifers and
hardwoods.

2b. Wood Preservatives: persons involved in the application of chemicals
to wood to protect it from fungi and insect infestation.

3. Ornamental and Turf: control of pests in the maintenance and production
of ornamental trees, shrubs and flowers in nurseries, greenhouses,, cemeteries,
parks, or lawn care and tree care systems; control of pests in the maintenance
of turf.

4. Seed Treatment Pest Control: concerned with preserving the quality
of field crop and vegetable seed by controlling fungi and stored product insects.

5. Aquatic Weed Control: control of undesirable plant life in static,
limited flow, and moving water situations; safety of aquatic animal life is
stressed.

5a. Antifouling Paints: application of tributyltin (TBT) paint.

6. Right-of-Way Pest Control: for applicators who use selective or non-selective
herbicides to control vegetation on highway, railroad, power line, or other
rights-of-way.

7. Industrial, Institutional, Structural, and Health-Related Pest Control:
for pest control operators and other applicators using pesticides to control
insects, ticks, millipedes, small mammals (such as rats, mice, squirrels), snakes
and birds, and other pests in households, industrial, or institutional structures;
termite control.

7c. Fumigation, Including Residential Structures

8. Public Health Pest Control: for applicators involved in public health
programs or in general control of human health-related pests; for example, flies,
mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs, spiders, cockroaches, ticks, chiggers, rodents,
and other public health pests.

9. Regulatory Pest Control: for applicators who implement federal and
state regulations regarding pest control or quarantines of goods entering or
leaving Kentucky.

10. Demonstration and Research Pest Control: for persons conducting
and supervising field research or public demonstrations in situations where
Restricted Use Pesticides are involved, including researchers, Extension specialists,
county Extension agents, and pesticide industry representatives; additionally,
such persons shall meet the standards applicable to the specific category in
which they work (such as Agricultural Pest Control, Ornamental and Turf Pest
Control, etc.).

11. Aerial Application of Pesticides: for applicators engaged in pest
control by aerial methods; equipment maintenance, types of dispersal accessories,
personal safety, calibration, and drift control are stressed.

12. Pesticide Dealer: for persons engaged in wholesale or retail sales
of Restricted Use pesticides; dealers should be certified in an appropriate
category selected from those listed above.

13. (None listed)

14. Consultant

What Agencies are Involved?

Two agencies are involved in Kentucky's pesticide
applicator training and certification program: the University
of Kentucky's Cooperative Extension Service and the Division
of Pesticides, Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

Cooperative Extension Service, University of Kentucky

The Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service is
responsible for providing initial and recertification training for private
and commercial pesticide applicators.

Initial training is for applicators who have never been
certified in Kentucky before or who have let their certification
expire. This training helps prepare applicators to take
the certification test.

Recertification training provides applicators who are
currently certified with the most current information on new
technology and safe use of pesticides, along with alternative
control strategies where appropriate. Participation in these
meetings keeps certification in effect.

Division of Pesticides, Kentucky Department of Agriculture

The Division of Pesticides is responsible for testing,
certifying, and licensing pesticide applicators and enforcing
Kentucky's pesticide laws.

The Division has approximately 20 inspectors who
inspect pesticide dealers and respond to complaints concerning
pesticide applications. Certified private and commercial
applicators will receive plasticized certification cards from the Division
of Pesticides; these cards are required when purchasing
Restricted Use Pesticides and must be carried by the applicator when
making pesticide applications.

Private Applicators

Private applicators become certified and receive
recertification credit by attending training sessions at local county
Extension offices and having their names submitted to the Division
of Pesticides by Extension agents. Contact your local county
Extension agent for agriculture to find out when training sessions
will be offered. Private applicator certification is valid for five years.

Commercial Applicators

If you are a commercial applicator you should attend
training sessions oriented toward your specific category.
Training sessions conducted by Extension Specialists are typically
held during winter and early spring for several categories.
Study materials for all categories are available free of charge from:

Department of Entomology

S-225 Ag Science Building, North

University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40546-0091

(606) 257-5955

Commercial applicators must take and pass a
written examination covering their specific category(s) to become
certified. Tests are typically administered immediately after
initial certification training sessions. Tests also are given monthly
at ten Kentucky locations: Boone county, Bowling Green,
London, LaGrange, Morehead, Mayfield, Owensboro,
Prestonsburg, Princeton, and Versailles. Commercial applicator
certification currently requires an application
fee and is valid for five years.

Recertification can be obtained during the five-year
period by attending training sessions that have been approved by
the Division of Pesticides for recertification credit. Those
commercial applicators receiving adequate recertification credit will
be certified for another five years without taking a test.

Pest control operators (Categories 7 and 8) are given a
much more rigorous test, including identification of pest
specimens. Higher fees are assessed to these applicators.

If you have any questions concerning certification, contact:

Division of Pesticides

100 Fair Oaks Lane, 5th floor

Frankfort, KY 40601

(502) 564-7274

Commercial applicators/operators and consultants must
also apply for and receive a license from the Division of
Pesticides which is valid for one year.

Recordkeeping Requirements

Currently, commercial pesticide applicators must keep
records of their pesticide applications for a period of three years.
Dealers must maintain records for two years which show brands
and amounts of Restricted Use Pesticides sold and to whom
they were sold.

The 1990 Farm Bill has made provisions for
recordkeeping by certified private applicators, too. The Farm Bill reads as
follows: "records required under this provision shall contain
information comparable to that maintained by commercial
applicators in the state in which the certified applicator resides."

In Kentucky, commercial applicators are required to
maintain the following records which would apply to private
applicators (from Regulations, Title 302, Chapter 31):

Kinds and amounts of pesticides applied

Date of use or application

Purpose of application

Area of land treated, where applicable

Crop or type of area treated

Name of person with certification to purchase, use, or apply Restricted
Use Pesticides

Pesticide dealer where Restricted Use Pesticides were purchased

Street address or site of use or application.

Records will be required to be retained for two years.
Please contact your local Extension Office or the Division of
Pesticides for up-to-date information about recordkeeping.

How You Can Become a Commercial Pesticide Applicator

If you are not sure if you need commercial certification, or
if you do not know what category applies to the type of work
you do, call the Division of Pesticides and explain your situation.

If you know the category of certification that you need,
follow these three basic steps:

Call the Department of Entomology at the University of Kentucky (the number
is (606) 257-5955) to arrange to receive a study packet for the proper category.
This packet contains a basic manual, a category manual, and other materials
that should be used for study and kept as a reference.

Study the manuals and information in the packet to prepare for the test.
Attend an initial training meeting if possible.

Call the Division of Pesticides (the number is (502) 564-7274) to schedule
a time and place to take the test.

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Division of Pesticides, Kentucky
Department of Agriculture, and Lee H. Townsend, Pesticide
Applicator Training Coordinator for Kentucky, for reviewing
this publication.

Additional Information

Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service Publications

(contact your local county Extension office)

AGR-139: Herbicide Persistence and Carryover in Kentucky

AGR-140: Herbicides with Potential to Carry Over and Injure Rotational Crops
in Kentucky

Pesticide Exposures

If you have a person who has been exposed to a particular pesticide, provide your physician or
emergency room with these emergency numbers, designed to provide pharmacological information on pesticides to
health professionals: